PEORIA — Tony Fitts touted the physical and social benefits of the proposed renovation and construction at the site of the former Greeley School as a step to transforming the surrounding community.

Fitts, a senior developer representing the Peoria Housing Authority’s co-developer, The Model Group, gave examples of the Cincinnati-based development firm’s work in blighted neighborhoods as an introduction to plans for the revitalization of the former school into Greeley Scholar House.

The proposed scholar house is the first phase in the redevelopment of nearby Taft Homes. The project intends to provide housing to parents in school with free on-site Head Start programming for their children.

“If you provide an education to a parent and to the child, you can now move two generations of a family out of poverty,” Fitts said during a community meeting Wednesday at the Gateway Building. “Now we’re not just building assets. Now we’re transforming lives.”

The project would ideally provide historic preservation to the existing structure at Greeley and a LEED-certified construction of two buildings for most of the intended 45 housing units that could stimulate development in the North Valley.

“It’s not easy work,” Fitts said. “But it can be done with a strategy, with a focus, with a purpose and with the understanding that this leads into other opportunities of development.”

The project still is in the planning and financing stage. Construction, Fitts said, would likely not begin for more than a year.

Fitts led the presentation, which also included comment from the PHA, Farnsworth Group and the public, some with questions, some with support and others with concerns.

“I question this area still,” neighborhood advocate Karrie Alms said. “Because there’s not much change between where they are at Taft and where they will be at Greeley.”

Timothy Tobin, who owns real estate across the street from Greeley and has developed multiple projects in the North Valley, applauded the project’s progress.

“I think the project is a slam dunk,” Tobin said. “This project is something that shouldn’t be looked at with any fault or any skew. It’s something that’s needed in this community.”

Peoria 1st District Councilwoman Denise Moore applauded the opportunity for development in a part of the city that isn’t as competitive as others.

“I’m very happy in that it sounds to me like a lot of the heavy questions have been answered, and, thus, folks don’t have those tonight,” Moore said. “We are talking about paperwork and access.”

Page 2 of 2 - Laura Nightengale can be reached at 686-3181 or lnightengale@pjstar.com. Follow her on Twitter @lauranight.